Shock absorber



Jan. ,12 1926. 1,569,229

F. H. JONES SHOCK ABSO'R'BER Filed March 5, 1925 Patented Jan. l2, 1926'.

UNITED STATES FRANCIS HERBERT J'ONESS, OF CICERO, ILLINOIS.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Application led March 5, 1925. Serial No. 13,297.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS HERBERT, JONES, a citizen of the United States, resid@v ing at' Cicero, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Shock Absorber, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in shock absorbers for vehicles, such as automoblies, motor trucks and the like, and has for its primary object the provision of a shock absorber which is extremely simple in construction, efficient in operation and long lived in use.

Another object is to provide a shock ab-V sorber which dispenses with heavy springs and other resilient parts, commonly em'- ployed in prior shock absorbers to oppose and check the violent and sudden movements of the vehicle body when passing over rough roads and other rough places.

A more specific object is to provide a novel shock absorber which comprises a part connected to the body of the vehicle, and a second part mounted on the chassis of the vehicle and frictionally engaging said first mentioned part to permit freedom of bound and to resist and retard upward movement or rebound of said first mentioned art.

Still another object resides in the provision in a shock absorber of an eccentric cam gear operating through a friction element to check the rebound of the vehicle.

Ancillary objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a shock absorber embodying of the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof taken along line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken along line B-8 of Fig. 1.`

While my invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail thepreferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the inven tion to the specific form disclosed, but aim in the appended claims to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling 'within the spirit and scope of the invention.

v-,l.eferri.ng to :the drawings, 4 represents the underside of a vehicle body, and 5 de`s-y ignates the rear axle of the vehicle which extends through a suitable housing.

Pivotally secured to the underside of the body 4 by meansof a bracket 7 is a down wardly extending connecting rod 8. In the present instance, the upper end of the ,rod 8 is secured between two spaced arms 9 on the bracket 7 by a pivot pin 10. .The lower end of the rod 8 'is pivotally secured by a pivot pin 11 in the upper end of an elongated hollow cylinder or piston 12.

The piston 12 is slidably disposed in a friction clamp which comprises a rigid part 18 formedpon a bracket 14, and a cap or shoe 15 loosely engaging the piston. Suitable packing 16 is provided on the. part 18 and the shoe 15 next to the piston.

In the present instance, the bracket 14 is adjustably secured to the housing 6 by means of a clamping plate 17, and isformed integral lwith a pair of spaced horizontal arms 18, between which the shoe 15 is loosely mounted. Each side of the shoe 15 is formed with a pair of lugs 19 which project laterally beyond .the arms 18 and serve to limit the vertical movement of the shoe.

Means is provided for clamping the shoe into frictional engagement lwith the piston 12 to resist upward movement of the latter and thereby check the rebound of the vehicle body 4 after a sudden ar. This means in the present instance comprises an eccentric cam member 2O which is loosely mounted on a intle 21 extending through the free ends o the arms 18. The working surface of the cam member 20 is formed with teeth 22 which mesh with the teeth of a vertical rack 428, formed on the shoe 15. The cam member 20 is so disposed relative to the shoe 15 that upon an upward movement of the latter it exerts an inward pressure against said shoe to bind the piston 12. To hold the teeth '22 in engagement with the rack teeth 28 and thereby insure rotation of the cam member 20 with movement of the shoe 15, a spring 24 wound around` the pintle 21 and engaging in notches 25 in the ends of the arms 18, engages the cam member and tends to rotate the latter upwardly.

Preferably, screws 26 lare threaded through the lower lugs 19 to adjust the limit 0i verf/icalIncrement 0f the shoe .15.- ,St-0r screws 27 in opposite ends of the piston l2 serve to prevent the latter from moving out of the clamp.

In operation, when the vehicle is subjected to sudden and violent jars, the body -l will move downwardly. This movement will force the piston l2 downwardly in the clamp of the shock absorber. Due to the rictional engagement between the piston l) and the shoe l5, the latter will also be moved downwardly to a slight extent, and in so doing will rotate the cam member 20 downwardly, thereby loosening the shoe and permitting a free bound or the body 4. On the rebound of the body 4l, the piston l2 will raise the sho@ l5 which thereupon will rotate the cam member 2O upwardly to clamp the shoe rictionally against the peripheral surface of the piston l2, thereby effectively checking the rebound of the body.

It will be evident that l have provided a simple and inexpensive shock absorber which can be readily applied 'to vehicles et' all kinds, whether already in use or not, which is sturdy in construction and not subject to material wear, and which is eX- tremely efficient in operation. The shock absorber dispenses with heavy springs and the like heretofore commonly employed in other shock absorbers.

l claim as my invention:

l. A shock absorber having, in combination, a cylinder adapted to be pivotally mounted on the underside ot the body of a vehicle, a clamp adapted to be rigidly mounted on the chassis ot' the vehicle and loosely embracing said cylinder, said clamp having a pair of spaced arms extending beyond opposite sides ot said cylinder, a movable clamp shoe loosely mounted between said arms and adapted to rictionally engage one side of said cylinder, said shoe having vertical rack teeth formed on its outer side, a cam gear pivotally mounted between said arms and meshing` with said rack, said cam gear being disposed to cause a lateral pressure against said shoe as the latter is moved upwardly, to force said shoe into frictional engagement with said cylinder, and spring` means tending to hold said cam gear in engagement with said shoe.

2. A. shock absorber having, in combination, a piston, means connect-ing said piston pivotally to the underside of the body oit' the vehicle, a bracket secured to the chassis ot' said vehicle, said bracket having a meniber rictionally engaging one side ot said piston, a shoe loosely mounted in said bracket and positioned to frietionally engage the other side of said piston, means for limiting the vertical movement o t said shoe, and gear means actuated through a vertical movement ot said shoe and servinfj to clamp said shoe into frictional ment with said piston upon inovemtM the latter in one direction.

3. A shock absorber having, in combination, a piston, means for connecting' said piston pivotally to the underside of the body of the vehicle, a. bracket adapted to be secured to the chassis of said vehicle, said bracket having a member rictionally engaging one side ol said i, on, a shoe loofe ly nounted in said bracl c, and te trictionally engage the other side oi' L piston, and gear means actuated through a verti 'al movement of said shoe and serving' to clamp said shoe into trictional enk ement with said piston upon movement of the latter in one direction.

a. A shock absorber having, in combination, a member adapted to move with the body of a vehicle, a clamp adapted to be mounted on the chassis of said vehicle and loosely engaging said lirst mentioned member, and gear means actuated through a relative movement of said first mentioned member and said clamp to force said clamp into lirietional engagement with said member to check the rebound of said body.

5. A shock absorber having, in combination, a member adapted to be securer to the body of a vehicle, a split clamp adapted to be mounted on the chassis ot said vehicle, said member extending slidably through said clamp and said clamp comprising a loose clamping shoe movable into and out of effectual frictional engagement with said member, and gear means supported by said clamp and engaging said shoe, said gear means being actuated through movement of said shoe and being shaped to exert a pressure against said shoe upon movement in one direction to 'force said shoe into trietional engagement with said tirst mentoned member.

6. A shock absorber having, in combination, a member adapted to be secured to the body of a vehicle, a friction clamp adapted to be mounted on the chassis of said vehicle and engaging said member, and eccentric means engaging said clamp, said means being automatically operable upon npw`rd movement of said member to press said clamp against saidmember, but being ineffectual to do so upon down vard movrn'ient of said member, thereby permitting a Yfree bound of said body but checkingithe rebound of said body.

vln testimony whereof, l have hereunto atiixed my signature.

FRANCIS HERLERT JONES, 

